Grinding Gear Games has announced the next expansion for their action RPG, Path of Exile.

Dubbed simply “War for the Atlas,” the new expansion is coming as a free content update on December 8th for PC, while the Xbox One version is set to arrive roughly a week later. Featured above, you can view the announcement trailer for the new expansion.

The main focus of the expansion is the war between The Shaper and The Elder, two mystical forces battling for control over the Atlas. Players will gain rewards for playing new content like items tainted by the Elder and the Shaper, to which Grinding Gear notes could become the strongest items in the game.

The Atlas.

Here’s a rundown on the new expansion, via Grinding Gear Games:

An ancient entity known as The Elder has challenged the Shaper’s control of the Atlas of Worlds. Explore maps ravaged by their conflict.

Key Features:

• The Elder Guardians
  As The Elder grows more powerful, he will consume The Shaper’s creations to manifest his own Guardians. The stronger the consumed boss, the stronger The Elder is when you face him.
• 32 New Maps
  The Atlas has been redrawn. Find your way to the centre through new paths and discover new challenges along the way. War for the Atlas adds 32 maps to Path of Exile’s ever-evolving end-game.
• Shaped and Elder Items
  As you fight in maps the Shaper or Elder control, you may find rare Shaped and Elder items which can be crafted to have powerful properties that don’t normally occur.
• Ten New Gems
  This expansion introduces ten new Gems including four new Skill Gems and six new Supports. The new skills have a focus on necromancy, while the support gems are designed to augment as many skills as possible in new and interesting ways.
• New Unique Items
  Path of Exile: War for the Atlas contains over fifty new Unique Items, many of which have been designed by our community.
• New Supporter Packs
  We’re also launching a new set of Supporter Packs alongside War for the Atlas. They feature the four exclusive armour sets worn by the Elder Guardians, as well as new weapon effects, portals, forum titles, portrait frames, t-shirts and microfibre cloth maps featuring the new Atlas.
• The Abyss Challenge League
  Path of Exile: War for the Atlas launches on December 8 (Pacific Time) on PC and shortly after on Xbox One. Alongside the expansion, we’re also introducing the Abyss Challenge League. Fight foes that spill forth from the underworld beneath your feet as you journey across Wraeclast. Claim valuable new Abyss Jewels to customise your characters and items in new ways. We’ll post detailed information about how the Abyss Challenge League works next week.

The previous expansion for the game, The Fall of Oriath, is now available – you can read our review for that content here (we highly recommend it, plus it’s free!). You can also find our thorough review for the base game here.